Week 5 & 6: May 2, 2011: Cannoli Cake

I am still under the weather, but I'm rallying.
Besides work and school, this was my view for most of the past week:

 Two things that have been making me smile:

 My amazing Easter egg front door wreath.

The little doll face dressed for high tea in honor of the royal wedding.

I've got doctors' appointments tomorrow about the hacking cough that's hanging about and the back/ running thing, so I'll keep you posted.

I'm working on my penultimate paper right now, taking a break to do a little posting and I'm so excited I can hardly sit still.  Saturday is my last class.  By this time Saturday evening (given I pass everything), I will officially be done with my doctoral coursework and working on my portfolio and proposal!  It's so close I can almost taste it.

I wasn't up to baking last week, but on a field trip one of the faculty members I rarely see mentioned how her favorite cake is Cannoli Cake. She has a funny story about how her mother-in-law was supposed to bring cannoli cake for her wedding, but came bearing Mexican Spice cake. I love Cannoli cake, and Mexican Spice cake and Rum cake for that matter and I haven't made any of them yet... cue French or evil scientist sounding laughter.

I googled Cannoli Cake and came across this recipe from  http://www.sargento.com/recipes/64/cannoli-cake/  It looked easy and tasty, so I made it.  Note, I did one version with the part skim ricotta and another with the whole milk.

I know that I complain about chocolate chips in things... I keep that complaint with this- there needs to be a better way, the texture of the ricotta and whipped cream mixture is heavenly, and then, you have to chew the chocolate chips-- just icky.



The cake was a bit sketchy. No leaveners, just the beaten eggs. The first cake came out a bit flat and there was no way I was getting four layers out of it.

The batter and frosting were so super easy, but the website does recommend you frost within six hours of eating.

Since I'm not a morning person, I was frosting and putting strawberries on the cake in the faculty room with the pregnant biology teacher urging me, "hurry up, woman", since she had a first block class.
She took this pic of me frosting:

Unfortunately, the teacher who'd inspired the recipe search didn't get down to the faculty room in time- so, I made half a batch of the cake mix into half a dozen cupcakes and made her cannoli cupcakes.  I figured out why the first cake was so flat- I didn't beat the eggs and sugar long enough- this batch came out fluffier. The intention was to pipe the ricotta filling into the cupcakes using a pastry bag, but I completely forgot that mini chocolate chips like to cluster and clog up the bag. Chocolate chips really are so evil. I wound up frosting them with the ricotta and then topping them with the whipped cream frosting.

Over all reactions were very good. I'm definitely going to try this one again.

Right now, I'm loving spring. I fell asleep reading in the back yard on Saturday and got a little fried. I got the lawn mower out on Sunday and I love seeing last year's bulbs popping up all over the place.



I think that we all have sacred places, places where the cosmos just come in line. They're like a good piece of art, or a favorite song, or that perfect dessert, they evoke that aesthetic experience, the goose bumps, the tingles or the deep sigh of leaning back into a comfortable chair, kicking the feet up and just enjoying.

Mine is my back porch after doing yard work with a beverage in hand. Listening to the birds, or the neighbors entertaining. Watching the breeze dancing in the tree branches. Smelling spring, cut grass and barbecue. Marveling at the miracles happening right in my own garden.

Where is yours?